GLENCOE ANCHORAGE
Culinary and rambling delights found in the Highlands
The infamous massacre at Glencoe in 1692 may not seem a typical way to start a sailing story but if a touch of history, high mountains and secure anchorages are for you, then make your way to Loch Leven in the Scottish Highlands.
It’s off the beaten track so many cruising sailors pass it by – all the more reason to make the effort and get there. Loch Leven is surrounded by mountains, and a few miles from where you can anchor are some of the most famous peaks in Scotland – Buachaille Etive Mòr, Bidean nam Ban and many others – so in a single loch you can have it all, including fine dining at nearby restaurants with moorings for visitors. All that and throw in the violent history of clan fighting in the 1600s and 1700s and the picture is complete.
Loch Linnhe takes you from the Oban area towards Fort William and the start of the Caledonian Canal. Two miles before the Corran Narrows – marked with a green conical buoy – you turn hard to starboard, heading for the road bridge at Ballachulish. At this point the entrance to Loch Leven is relatively shallow but by following the pilot book’s instructions you will have five metres under the keel. The clearing height beneath the bridge is 17 metres above High Water Springs and make sure you enter on the flood, as tides can run at up to six knots at this point. Just after the bridge is an attractive anchorage to port at Port na Dun (Bishop’s Bay) and a little further in to starboard is Rubha na Glas-lice with good holding.
Elsewhere, fixed moorings around the loch are a guide to the best anchorages, but consider using a tripping line in case of sea-bed obstructions.
Pilotage is straightforward, but rocky patches abound and the dredged pinchpoint at Caolas nan Con needs care; a constant eye on the plotter or chart will keep you safe. There is plenty of depth if you stick to the main channels.
Cruising towards the head of the loch, you will see the Glencoe Boat Club, with visitors’ moorings, to starboard. If these are occupied, a call to the boat club should get you sorted. At this point, find Eilean Munde on the chart – a small island with the remains of a church. It is also known as Burial Island because it was used as a graveyard during the height of the clan wars. As a result, over 300 clansmen and women are buried here; implacable enemies in life, now united in death.
In the heart of the Highlands, walking routes abound. For the Munro baggers (hills above 3,000 feet) there are plenty to choose from; for the less energetic, lovely trails take you along valleys with tumbling streams and vantage points that offer breathtaking views.